TerraVerde LLC have been awarded the prestigious title of Best Residential Award for the second time with their Luxury Villa Project in Arabian Ranches, Dubai. This is the fourth time TerraVerde has been shortlisted for the Middle East Interior Design and Architect Awards (MEIDA), which are open to all industry professionals within the MENA region, covering categories from large corporate spaces to retail window displays. The ceremony, which was held at one of Dubai’s most glamorous venues the Cavalli Club, played host to some of the most renowned architects and designers from around the region. The MEIDA awards runs alongside…

Five new orchid species have been discovered in remote Philippine mountains, protected from poaching because of an insurgency in the region, conservationists said yesterday. The species are found only in a mountain range on the rebellion-torn Mindanao area in the southern Philippines and have eluded those cataloguing plant life for 200 years, expert Miguel David de Leon said. Poaching of wild orchids mostly by locals is rampant in the Philippines, with some communities illegally harvesting them without permits for export or to sell them along roads. But Mindanao region is among the country’s areas wracked by one of Asia’s longest-running…

Green walls and rooftop gardens are great, but keeping them healthy in the Middle Eastern climate can be challenging. Green Studios has an answer with their patented technology that ensures plants can flourish despite the extraordinary heat in the region. Jamil Corbani, cofounder and CEO of Green Studios explained: “We wanted to develop something that is applicable to super-hot climates.” And in order to do this Green Studios altered standard hydroponic growing techniques that requires no soil, and just a mineral nutrient solution to feed the greens with smart technology that monitors plant health. Their green walls are comprised of…

A new portable stone crushing and grinding machine has been developed in Oman through a collaboration of Industrial Innovation Centre of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (PEIE), Caledonian College of Engineering and the World of Natural Stones. The machine can be used in handicraft, gardening, landscaping, interior design and jewellery manufacturing, and was unveiled to the public at a function under the patronage of the Minister of Commerce and Industry HE Dr Ali Bin Masoud Al Sunaidy. The machine is currently being used by the World of Natural Stones and has proved to be a success, according to PEIE…

Dubai has been ranked among the top 10 cities in the world for green building, according to a recent white paper published by Solidiance, a management consultancy firm focused on Asia. The emirate ranked eighth on the list. Dubai was given a score of 43.5%, and scored strongly in the ‘green building efficiency and performance’ category. Paris, Singapore and London ranked among the top three global cities for green buildings. The white paper aims to assess and compare the performance of the top 10 global cities specifically with regards to green buildings, with performance rated across four categories: City-wide green…

A group of Omani students have created an eco-friendly liquid manure that claims to help plants grow faster. Econas, the student-run company said this first-of-its-kind product will help Omani farmers grow their flowers and vegetables more smoothly. Made up of 11 members, the company will start selling its “Plant Coffee” next week. Farmers in Oman currently use solid manure, which takes more time to blend with soil and is more expensive. The new “Plant Coffee” is set be sold at a price of 350 Omani baisa per litre. “It provides better nutrition to a plant as its ingredients consist of only…

In the searing heat of Kuwait, trees provide the best shade for people, animals and even vehicles from the direct rays of the sun. But just as Kuwait’s spring turns to summer, trees across the country are being drastically pruned or even cut back despite the need for shade. The beautification department of the Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) is in charge of this work. Director of the execution and maintenance department at PAAAFR Abdul Mohsen Khaja on preparations for the summer stated: “The beautification department monitors maintenance contracts with horticulture companies that are specialized in agriculture…

Green is the word for the development in the growing capital city of the country. Abu Dhabi City Municipality (ADCM) has charted out a plan for 130 parks in different parts of Abu Dhabi Island and the Mainland from 2014 to 2017, with an area of 83.7 million square metres covered with lush green grass, flower beds and vegetation. The ADCM is going ahead with its green drive by expanding green spaces, doubling the number of trees, increasing landscaping projects for streets and squares and growing more domestic flora. Abu Dhabi and suburbs now contain more than 588,763 trees including palm trees…

The Qur’anic Botanic Garden (QBG) recently played host to a delegation visiting from the University of Malaya in Malaysia. The visit came after Fatima bint Saleh al-Khulaifi, project manager of QBG, presented a lecture at the International Conference on Food Research Based On Sunnah Nabawiah held at the University of Malaya in April 2016. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss how to document the medicinal plants mentioned in the Sunnah, and to conduct scientific research to study their active substances and match their properties with the medicinal uses mentioned in the Hadith. In particular, the plants of Indian…

Ecological groups and authorities in Sharjah are making headway against desertification, planting greenery to keep land erosion at bay, said officials at UN’s World Day to Combat Desertification on June 17. New trees are helping in the reforestation of Sharjah, said Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, chairperson of The Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah. The authority said in a statement on Thursday that the EPAA’s efforts are supported by the Environmental Degradation Prevention Act, which imposes a fine on anyone who commits any environmental offence or violation that could lead to deforestation or desertification. “Within just a short period…